Valdemar rolled over so their upper bodies mashed enticingly together. "We're in love."

Maybe. Possibly. Okay, yes.

"You also have your deranged cousin wanting to kill you in order to become a dictator to your people.

We should be focusing on that." We? When did I start thinking in "we" terms?

"You're right." "Yeah well, take your hand off my b.u.t.t." His hand was lodged in the crack of her a.s.s, stroking her flesh.

Aureliann was still wet from their "sidetrack" from before. The feel of his hands so intimately on her body set off sparks of antic.i.p.ation within.

Valdemar rolled Aureliann onto her stomach before she had a chance to react. "I love your a.s.s." He kissed each plump cheek. He lifted her up so she was on her hands and knees.

"What are you doing?" It was a dumb question when a c.o.c.k was prodding her b.u.t.t.

"Trust me." He reached over and grabbed a condom from the supply he had stashed beside her bed. "I believe you will enjoy it."

Aureliann turned her head around to look at him. That he was erect and ready to go again was no surprise to her. In fact it delighted her to know she was the reason behind it. "You're not going to..." Aureliann could not finish the sentence. What she hoped he would do was not something a good girl would do.

"You don't want me to?" Valdemar snapped the condom into place. He looked around the room. He smiled when he saw what he needed.

"Well, yeah but..."

"What?" He mounted himself on top of her, his c.o.c.k rubbing the flesh of her a.s.s. "Worried about how naughty it is?" Valdemar chuckled as she shivered at his words. "I plan to do lots of naughty things with you, lovely. Now do not move." He got off the bed and headed to her dressing table.

Aureliann could vaguely remember her grandmother telling her when she was ten that men preferred "good girls". At the time she had not known what the woman had meant. Now she knew, and "bad" worked better for her. She jumped in excitement when Valdemar moved back behind her.

"Relax," he murmured as he nudged her legs apart and slipped his hand in between. "I love how you are always wet for me." With his other hand he flipped the lid on a bottle of lotion he had found on her dresser.

"What is that?" Aureliann heard the sound of squirting but the way Valdemar had positioned himself she could not see what was going on.

"Lotion." He lathered his condom-covered c.o.c.k.

Aureliann gasped. "Which bottle?"

"Does it matter?" Valdemar squirted some of the cool cream into the tight puckered hole of her a.s.s.

"Whoa." That was a weird yet exciting feeling. "One bottle cost me a gazillion dollars." Men. They never understood the important things in life. "Is it in a pale blue or a white bottle?"

"White." Valdemar pulled her cheeks apart and moved in tight behind her.

"That's okay then." The white bottle was from a chain store.

Valdemar sat back on his haunches and laughed. "Seriously? Why would you care?"

Aureliann craned her neck around to look at him. "You may care when I'm eighty and a wrinkled-up old prune."

He smiled. "I love the thought of you and me together at eighty." Valdemar slipped one creamy finger inside her a.n.u.s. "I love that we will be having s.e.x when our knees are failing us and our eyesight is shot. I love the fact that you will be worried about what lotion I use to pleasure you when neither of us may be able to make out the writing on the bottle." He pushed a second then a third finger in, thrusting back and forward, preparing her for more. "But most of all I love you."

"You are the sweetest man." Aureliann loved the idea of growing old with him, which was insane considering they had met barely two days ago. Sometimes things just happened for a reason and she knew better to question that. And at that moment, she loved the way his fingers filled her a.s.s. It made her crave another type of filling.

"I think you may love me too." He leaned in and whispered in her ear, "Do you want me?"

"No, I'm just writhing on the bed for effect," Aureliann quipped as she undulated back and forth on his fingers. "I need action here."

Valdemar slapped her b.u.t.t playfully. "You have a smart mouth, lovely."

"Yeah well, talk is cheap and I'm seeing no action from you, prince."

He removed his fingers. "So I'm back to being the prince again?"

"Until you prove yourself to me." Aureliann liked this teasing banter with Valdemar. It made it so much more fun and exciting.

"Would this do it?" His c.o.c.k nudged at her a.n.u.s.

Aureliann was startled. She knew the size of his p.e.n.i.s and suddenly the idea of all that in such a small area did not seem like such a doable thing.

Valdemar seemed to sense her hesitation. He wrapped one arm around her waist. "This will work. Just push back on me, lovely."

She did as he said and slowly he pushed the head of his c.o.c.k into her tight puckered hole.

"Oh Val." His entry was so slow and hot that it almost felt that time stood still. It was uncomfortable yet nothing would make her ask him to stop. She wanted him any way she could have him. Discomfort turned to another feeling that she knew slow-moving friction would make even better.

"Oh indeed." No further words were spoken as they both gave in to the moment for what it was. Once he was fully inside, Valdemar licked her neck. "May I?"

That low, husky voice in her ear made her tremble. Aureliann knew what he wanted, what he needed and she remembered how it had made her feel. "Yes," she breathed the word out. As his fangs sank into her neck, Valdemar started to pump inside her. Aureliann closed her eyes and gave in to the rush of heat that surged through her a.s.s and veins. Their joining was so intense that she had no idea where she started and Valdemar ended. The sucking on her neck and the thrust of his c.o.c.k made the o.r.g.a.s.m that hit so intense that her arms shook and threatened to give way.

Valdemar caught Aureliann to him. His mouth left her neck. His tongue stroked the pierced flesh like a balm.

"Beautiful, lovely Aureliann," he growled as his stroke increased and his b.a.l.l.s slapped at her backside.

She panted and closed her eyes, taking all that he could give her. When he groaned in satisfaction and his c.o.c.k jerked hard within her body, Aureliann fell down on the bed. All her bones felt like liquid and she lay in a sensual daze.

"b.l.o.o.d.y h.e.l.l." Her words were barely coherent. Her a.s.s was throbbing pleasantly. "We have to-" She stiffened and tilted her head. "I hear someone outside." Who the h.e.l.l could it be? And how embarra.s.sing would it be if they walked in now. "Get off me."

Valdemar heard the sound of a man clearing his throat. He lifted himself from Aureliann and jumped out of bed, ready to defend his woman from this unannounced guest.

"Do an old man a favor and put on some clothes, boy," Thomas Gwyddein's voice called out in amus.e.m.e.nt from the other room. "Thomas, what are you doing here?" Valdemar discarded the spent condom and reached for his trousers.

He was surprised but not as much as Aureliann. Her mouth was in that cute "o" shape he loved. Valdemar did up the snap on his pants and kissed her quickly. "b.u.t.ton up, lovely. He's an old man but he's not dead."

He threw her his shirt.

Aureliann's hands flew to the task. "Thomas from the book?" She looked agog. The last b.u.t.ton was in place as Thomas came into sight. "You're not how I pictured you." She jumped up to stand beside Valdemar.

The smell of s.e.x filled the room and she blushed.

"h.e.l.lo, my dear." Thomas had a twinkle in his pale blue eyes as he grinned at her. "We rarely are as others see us but you know that." He moved to her and reached for her hand, patting it with his own. "Pleased to meet you and while your bedroom is lovely I think we would all be more comfortable in the living room."

They followed the older man out. Aureliann did a double take as she looked at the people waiting for them. "Those are elves."

Valdemar was amused at her reaction. It was going to be exciting to show Aureliann even more new things. He smiled at how large and loose his shirt was on her much smaller frame. It covered all the beauty that only he was aware of. As pleased as he was to see Thomas, he really wanted to be back in the bedroom with Aureliann enjoying themselves as only they could.

He arched his eyebrow at the three elves leaning against the furniture with a bored look on their faces.

These pointy-eared weird little guys were incorrigible and nothing, not even vampire royalty, could change them. Elves were stubborn individuals who bowed to no one. They were dressed in the standard green uniform of their elven clan. Though they barely were at his waist level, Valdemar knew their strength could never be underestimated.

"She's quick but ugly," one of the elves said as he looked Aureliann up and down in dismissal.

"And I thought humans were dumb," another one added sarcastically and they all laughed.

Aureliann narrowed her eyes at them. "And I thought elves were sweet little pixies with girly voices and bells on their shoes and not short-a.s.sed little beings with small man's syndrome."

"Hey!" the third one spat out. "We're not pixies, lady. Pixies dance and skip and have high-pitched voices." He shook his finger. "We don't do any of that. And we're not short. You're just unpleasantly tall."

"Pixies are also obnoxiously nice." The elves made that sound like a terrible thing.

"Hmm, I see," Aureliann replied, her eyes on theirs in challenge. "Whereas you lot appear to just be obnoxious and kind of grotesque."

Valdemar laughed as the elves stamped their feet as they were wont to do when things were not going their way. "Give up, boys, my lady is not in awe of you." He knew elves enjoyed stirring people up. He was pleased to see after her initial surprise, Aureliann was cool and calm.

The elves muttered under their breath and shot p.i.s.sed-off glances at the woman in question.

Thomas laughed with delight. "Aureliann, my dear, you are going to fit in nicely at the castle." He winked at her. "Elves need a firm hand."

Valdemar shook his head in wonder. My life is crazy at the moment yet I love it, and her. My woman. "Thomas?"

"Oh yes, why I'm here." He reluctantly let go of Aureliann's hand. "You're in trouble, my boy."

"Yes, Victor showed up here." Valdemar quickly filled him in on what had transpired so far. In a couple of days, he had lived more than he would have in a couple of years.

Aureliann half listened as she traded pulling faces at the elves. In her defense, they had started it and she wasn't about to be stared down by a trio of small green men.

"So what do we do?" The elves rolled their eyes at her. "And why exactly are they here?" She pointed to them and they mimicked pointing back. Aureliann had to admit they were fun but she wasn't about to share that knowledge with them.

"They are our protection," Valdemar explained.

Aureliann snorted in amus.e.m.e.nt. "What? These little boys?" She was pleased when they scowled.

"We're not boys, we're men," an elf snapped at her.

"Yeah? Wanna see?" They each grabbed their belts and started to unbuckle their trousers.

"Cease and desist." Valdemar's tone was one of warning. The elves instantly removed their hands. "This is my lady and you will treat her with the respect that your people have always given all my ancestors'

ladies."

Thomas smiled at Aureliann. "It can take awhile though."

Valdemar pulled her close to his side. "They are here, lovely, because they have great power and have guarded my country for years."

"And we will need them." Thomas sounded sure on that point. "As much as I am pleased you have found each other there is a kingdom in peril. There will be plenty of time for fun later. Have you found out what Victor's plans are?"

Aureliann gave Valdemar a significant look. "Told ya." They had to work out the whole life and death thing before they enjoyed themselves. Added to that it gave her some breathing s.p.a.ce to think about all that had happened to her. It had all been such a rush that she needed time to breathe.

"I can see from the mark on your neck you have bonded. Valdemar gets his strength from you now and that is a power that is hard to destroy. Added to that Victor cannot harm you for to do so kills him." Thomas saw her confusion. "If he so much as grazes your skin he will be poisoned."

"That's right, lovely. My cousin and I cannot take each other's mates as we are related by blood." He nodded at Thomas' words. "And yes, you are what makes me strong."

This was a complete head spin. That she was, as a woman, considered powerful, she always knew. All women were, but prejudice against her gender was always there somewhere below the surface. "Some men still think women are weak."

"They are," one elf murmured, then tried to look innocent when Valdemar shot him a look to silence him.

Aureliann chuckled. "I like Bob, Bill and Binky here." The elves looked at her in surprise.

"They're not our names." The elves stamped their feet in unison. "You couldn't even p.r.o.nounce our real names."

"Maybe, maybe not but I know you are p.i.s.sy little things and I like that." She was surprised when they blushed and shuffled their feet, seemingly taken aback by her words. Elves-like all men they were easy to work out.

Thomas nodded his head in approval of her. "Women in Serawych have quiet, unbreakable power over all men regardless of race or species. The bond is so great no one can break it." He then listened as Valdemar filled him in on what Marlow had found out.

"We must go back to Serawych. We cannot have this played out on the streets of this innocent city."

Valdemar was adamant on that. Thomas nodded in agreement. "Yes and you need to rally the people."

"What about the people? The castle?" There was great concern in Valdemar's voice.

"Everything is under control," Thomas a.s.sured him. "As you know they are strong and do not need to be led by the nose but if this dark force approaches-"

"You need to be there." Even Aureliann could see that. A good leader always thought of his people and she could tell by the look in his eyes Valdemar wanted to go home.

"Come with me." Valdemar spoke the three simple words to her.

Aureliann took a deep breath. She could feel all eyes upon her. There were so many reasons for not jumping into whatever this was she was mixed up in. She had her house, a job and bills to pay. No one Aureliann knew would consider this a normal thing to do. Though she was scared, she could not let go of Valdemar now. "Yes."

"Good woman," Thomas said with approval.

Chapter Nine.